The choice of the passage from Romans struck me today as I was reading it. Very often we tend to read chapter 7, close our Bibles, then read chapter 8 as if nothing came before it. Of course, Paul was not thinking in chapters and verses, nor were the Romans reading in chapters and verses. To see these two chapters together points out God's grace shown to us sinners in a marvelous way.
Here's what I mean. We think of the struggle against sin as something which is ultimately discouraging. And in a sense it is discouraging. But right after talking about the struggle he has with sin, Paul thanks God for the riches of the mercy of Christ. This points up a question we should ask ourselves more often. How does my sin point to the glory of God? Should I sin so grace may abound? No, that's not the answer at all. I should strive not to sin. But when I do sin, and I will do so regularly, my knowledge of my sin points up God's righteousness and forgiving grace all the more. What will I do about this sinful man who rises up in me daily? Thanks be to God, Christ has died in his place. I can come with repentance and receive forgiveness because no matter how much that sinful man rises up to try to kill the new creation, the sinful man himself has been crucified with Christ.
Oh Lord, have mercy on us.
Thanks be to God.
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